|
A simple definition for an aneurysm is a bulging or ballooning in a weakened wall of a blood vessel. It can be fusiform, taking an equal, uniform shape, or it can be saccular, like a lop-sided blister. Either way, if your doctor has identified one on your aorta, your largest artery and the vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body, you will need to seek options for aortic aneurysm repair right away. The most common way to repair an aortic aneurysm, particularly if it is large or growing rapidly, is through surgery. There are several different options. Aortic valve-sparing root replacement removes the aortic root, the part of the aorta that's attached to the heart, without damaging the valve. Aortic homograft surgery uses donor's organs to replace the effected part of the aneurysm patient's aorta. "Freestyle" valve and root replacement uses bioprosthetics that perform similarly to native aortic valves to replace damaged tissue and restore proper blood flow. Naturally, different procedures will be required depending on whether you have a thoracic aortic aneurysm, which effects the upper part of the aorta in your chest, or the more common abdominal aortic aneurysm, which effects the part of the aorta that courses through the abdomen. It should be noted, of course, that all of these procedures are open chest surgeries that require general anesthesia and several days recovery in the hospital. As unpleasant a prospect as that seems, it's far better than what happens if you don't go through with it. If an aneurysm is subjected to too much pressure, it can burst or rupture. This causes intense pain and bleeding. It can lead to death within minutes to hours. The choice is pretty obvious. Dreadful as aortic aneurysm repair may seem, it's preferable to sudden, painful death. The Heart Surgery program at NYU Langone Medical Center is a nationally recognized leader in advanced treatments and technologies for heart disease. (http://cardiac-surgery.med.nyu.edu/)
Related Articles -
aortic, aneurysm, repair,
|
